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One pot pastas have quickly turned into one of my favorite, go to meals! They're beyond easy & they're very cost effective. There are tons of recipes out there for one pot pastas, but I'm going to tell you more about a basic recipe that you can use with what you have on hand.

I call this a dump meal! You can use any veggies you have on hand- it's perfect for the time where if you don't use them, you'll have to throw them away. What's also great is that many grocery stores will sell discounted veggies that they just need to move off the shelf. They're at a great price & are often already chopped up. Just double check that they look good & plan on using them sooner rather than later.

With this particular case, I purchased the veggies at the store that they wanted off the shelf. I spent only $3.5o on a bunch of veggies that made it into this meal & a veggie stir fry I made in the same night! So lets get started!

What you need:

-First things first! Chop up your veggies. I like to chop mine on the smaller side that way I know they're cooking all the way through.-Next, put the pasta, your veggies (including the garlic & onion), the water & salt and pepper into the pot. Be sure to actually measure the water, that's very important!-Turn on your stove to medium-high heat, uncovered. I mix occasionally.-When the water starts to boil, turn the heat down to low, and let it simmer for 10-12 minutes.

You'll notice that the water will be absorbing into the pasta & the veggies and that is exactly what you want!

-When it's done simmering- just take a quick taste to make sure the pasta is cooked through. -Then, add your cream, cheese & salt and pepper to taste. Mix so that it's all in-I always then cover the pot for about 5 minutes- it gives the pasta some bonus time to absorb all the juices & flavor.-Then serve & enjoy!

I hope you enjoy this "dump meal" & experiment with the different ingredients! Share with us your favorite combos!

As a vegetarian since I was 8, I'm always looking for new ways to add extra protein into my meals. I have no idea what took me so long to make some protein balls as snacks but I am so happy I finally did! Here's my recipe for these delish little snacks!

What I did first, was make a base for the balls that way I could make multiple different flavored treats!

I threw it all into one bowl & mixed it up really well. You want to make sure everything is evenly incorporated.

From there, I separated my based into 3 bowls. I wanted to try out 3 different kinds of flavors that all worked well with my base!

Bowl 1:- Chocolate chips

Bowl 2:-Dried Cranberries-Chopped almonds

Bowl 3:- Chopped walnuts-Shredded coconut

Once you've mixed in your different toppings, throw your bowls into the refrigerator for about a half hour! You want them to be a little bit firmerso that making the balls will be easier.

Then you just roll 'em! I was able to get 5 balls from each bowl but your sizes may vary.

ou don't need them too big because they are pretty filling! I pop 2 at a time for snacks & they get me through that lagging part of the day.

They're super tasty, super easy & I love how you can mix & match with different flavors. I used ingredients I happened to have on hand at the time so I need to brainstorm other varieties!

The thing that I love about these aside from versatility, is they're such a quick snack to make. You make them on a Sunday & you have a snack for your entire week (you can store them in your fridge for about 7-10 days). They're little, but filling & I feel like you can experiment with them so that there is something for everybody!

It's a great way to add a little more protein & yumminess into my diet!

As you know, I love soup! I am also always looking for meals with lots of protein since I'm a vegetarian & this black bean soup was just that! I'm also obsessed with all recipes that require a crock pot because it makes my life SO much easier!

I based this recipe on one I found on Pinterest of course, from Emilie Eats & you can find the original recipe (and many other great ones) by clicking here!

The reason I did a variation on this recipe was because I like a little bit of kick in my food but I'm not a big spicy person. I also wanted to add more veggies to load it up all the while not making all 6 servings. I knew before making this that nobody in my house would want it & didn't want any of the soup to go to waste. It ended up making a little more than 3 servings of soup which was perfect for me!

So what do you need for my variation (3-4 servings):

-1/2 Bag of dried black beans-3 cups Broth or stock (either vegetable or chicken)​-1 Bell pepper of your choosing-2-3Tomatoes-1/2 White Onion-4 Cloves ofGarlic- 1 ear Corn-3-4 pieces of Celery-3-4 stalks of Carrots-and Seasonings based how how much of a kick you want! I used salt & pepper, and a tiny bit of cayenne

The first thing you do, is soak your beans overnight. Pick out any of the shells or broken beans. Add enough water in the bowl to cover all the beans by 2 inches or so of water. Let the soak while you sleep!

When they're done soaking, drain & rinse them then throw them into the crock pot.

Then, chop up all your veggies & add them into the crock pot. Then, add your broth & seasonings. If you need to add more broth, you can!

Once everything is mixed in. Turn on your crock pot on high for 6 hours and let it work its magic!

When it's done,you can either leave it as it or choose to blend it- you can use your immersion blender to make it semi smooth or use your blender to make it super smooth!

Then it's ready to eat! You can serve it with fresh avocado on top too (because who doesn't love avocado?)

I could eat soup every day, all year long. I don't know why I love it so much, but I do! I especially love soup if I can make it in the crock pot because it's even easier

I found this great recipe from Pinterest of course (for the original link & full recipe, click here!) and needed to try it as I was catching up on some orders & Love Struck business a couple of weekends ago. It really didn't require much prep & it smelt delish as it was cooking!

What you need:

-4 cups stock-2 cups cream-4-5 medium potatoes- I used your run of the mill white potato-3 cups of corn-1 cup of celery-1 onion-3-4 cloves of garlic- Salt & Pepper- And a crock pot of course!

You pretty much chop everything that needs chopping up & throw it into the crock pot. You're going to want to cut them in smaller cubes so they cook through. Then, add everything EXCEPT the cream into the crock pot. Stir it around & turn it on high for 6 hours and let the crock pot work its magic!

I actually didn't have celery at the moment when I began cooking, I had my sister grab it while she was grocery shopping so I threw the celery in later which worked out!

Right before your 6 hours is up- with about 15 minutes left- is when you add your cream!

When you're done, you can either use the emersion blender to blend everything, or I put it into the blender in 2 batches until I got my desired consistency.

I loved this recipe! I didn't add the bacon like in the original recipe solely because I'm a vegetarian. I do wish I added more potatoes & maybe a little less corn. But that's just me! But overall- it came out delish & I would totally make it again! You should give it a try, without a doubt!

Don't forget to check out the original pin & to get the full recipe by clicking here!

I’ve been wanting to try more quinoa recipes and after randomly finding some on clearance at Tj Maxx today, I decided to give a recipe a whirl! I chose to try a play on a burger. As a vegetarian, I like to create different kind of burgers that I can enjoy year round. So needless to say, I was excited to try these out!

I liked this recipe too because you didn't need many ingredients so it's pretty easy to just make any time.

How much this makes:The original recipe says it’ll make 25 small patties. Since I was cooking for 2, I halved the recipe & made about 6 larger patties.What you'll need:-2/3 cup spinach- cooked & Squeezed dry (I used a package of frozen spinach)-3 Cups cooked Quinoa-2 Eggs-1 Cup Panko-1 Small Onion, diced-1/2 grated cheese

Turn your oven on to 350

To Cook the Quinoa:I had to look this up. For every 1 cup of Quinoa you'll need 2 cups of water to cook. So for this recipe, you'll need 3 cups Quinoa; 6 cups water. Put in a pot & bring it to a boil. Once it's boiling, cover it & turn the heat down to low. Let it cook for about 15 minutes. You'll see it expand and get nice & fluffy. You'll also notice the water is absorbed too.

Once you have all your ingredients ready to roll, add them to a bowl & start mixing with a spatula. After a few mixes, I started using my hands to make sure everything combined well. Once it's looking well mixed, you can start forming your patties!

I opted to do larger, burger sized ones but on the flatter side. Choose to do them whatever size you prefer but I recommend not making them super thick so that they can cook correctly.

Place your patties on a greased baking sheet. When you're done making them, put the baking sheet in the refrigerator for about 15-20 minutes so they can firm up.

When the 15 minutes is done, pop them into the oven! They'll bake for about 15-25 minutes, until they're golden. It took us more on the 20-25 minute side for ours to be fully cooked. We flipped them half way through too.

I was really excited to try these when they were done! I was really happy with how they turned out too. They were tasty, had a nice soft texture & were pretty easy to make.

Next time however, I'll most likely sauté the spinach with the onions, salt & pepper to get those onions cooked a little more & add more flavor.

Enjoy making these! They're a great, healthy alternative for any meal or even a snack!

I've always enjoyed using the crock pot, but lately I've been really into it! Best parts of the crock pot is the ease of making a meal & how great it all tastes at the end. Using the crock pot is a great way to meal plan too for the week! So if you have a crock pot, get ready because I'm going to share with you recipes I've been trying out!

First recipe I'll be sharing is a potato, leek & broccoli soup. It's perfect for cold weather or for lunch with a side salad! It fills you up & is great for you too!

Once you have all your ingredients chopped & ready, throw in the leek, onion, garlic, potatoes & stock into the crock pot, put it on high for 3-4 hours.

While that's in, take your broccoli out of the freezer & let it thaw. About 10 minutes before the soup is finished, add your broccoli so it can warm up.

Once it's ready, grab your immersion blender or regular blender. You can blend it as much as you'd like, depending on how chunky you like your soup. Right before serving, add the half and half to mix in.

If you know me, you know that I am a summer girl through and through. Give me a hot, humid day where it hurts a little to breathe & you sweat the moment you step outside and I am a happy.

But I have a confession to make; I have a mild obsession with a nice cup of homemade soup on a chilly fall day.

I know, I know, I'm contradicting what I just told you! But doesn't this sound perfect: a chilly fall day, sitting outside while the sun shines and you're in your jeans, boots, flannel & a vest. In your hand you have a warm cup of soup that fills you to the core & you can sit, relax and just be?

Now that the season has arrived, let me share with you how we make homemade vegetable soup at my house! It's so easy that anybody can do it so they can cozy up this fall with a hearty meal!

If you also know me, you know that when I make a recipe I don't do exact measurements, it's the Italian in me.

First we start with a fresh, homemade broth. This requires a some time though, and by time I mean a few weeks. What I mean by that is this; as you're chopping & cooking throughout your week, don't throw everything away! If you're peeling a carrot, chopping an onion or garlic, cutting off the ends of celery, etc. don't throw those peels or ends away. Instead, grab a freezer Ziploc bag and begin a vegetable end collection. Every time you're cooking, you can add these types of veggies & other and continually place the bag into the freezer. When the bag is full, then you're ready to make homemade broth!

Making broth is easy. Dump your bag into a large pot and fill it with water. Bring it to a boil & let it simmer and cook down. Once it's done, strain it (but make sure you're straining it into another pot!). The strainer will catch all the veggies which you can now throw away & the second pot will catch all your vegetable broth. You can either use the broth right way or freeze it for another time.

The beauty of homemade broth is that you're using so much more of your vegetables which is a great thing! You're really not wasting any food. You are also cutting down on the sodium that store bought broths contain which makes this soup even healthier.

If you're ready to make the soup then make sure you have your broth handy! First thing, I chop up between 3-4 cloves of garlic and about a half of an onion. Throw these into an empty pot with some olive oil to sauté for a 1-2 minutes.

Then, add your veggies! You can add frozen veggies or fresh ones; I tend to do a mix of both. Add your frozen ones in first to sauté & thaw out a little bit. Then throw in your fresher veggies, stir & continue to sauté for a few more minutes. I fill the pot at least halfway with veggies, more if I'm feeling crazy.

Then it's time to add your broth! Carefully pour your brothover your veggies, if you don't have enough liquid, you can add more water. You want your veggies to be covered & then some. Use your chef eye to assess if you have enough water. The pot should be about 3/4 of the way filled with everything in it.

Bring it to a boil, stirring occasionally. Once it boils, turn the heat to low & let it simmer. You can leave it without a top on and let it cook for about 2 hours. You'll notice your kitchen will be smelling incredible! Once it's done, throw in a pinch of salt & pepper to taste, grab a ladle and enjoy something amazing, hearty & healthy!

Here's my pot of soup just as it begins to boil!

Extra Tips

-You don't have to make your own stock! You can purchase stock or you can buy bullion cubes which you throw into the pot once the water boils & it'll dissolve. Just make sure to mix it so it adds flavor to the entire soup.

-If you want bonus flavor, add a dollop of tomato paste. It gives it an extra punch.

-Feel free to add some pasta, especially ditalini which is my favorite. The key though is to cook the pasta separately, and leave it alla dente. Add the pasta into the bowls of soup as you serve them. The pasta absorbs the juices so if you leave it in overnight, you'll have less juice and more saturated pasta.

-Freeze what you aren't going to eat right away! I typically will freeze them individual containers, I'll take them out the night before & place them in the refrigerator. By the morning, they'll be thawed and ready to take to work!

-You can make this in the crock pot! Mix everything & place on low for 6 hours. Easy!

-Make this for the meat lovers! I'm the only vegetarian in my family, so they'll add cooked chicken to their soups. It soaks up the great flavor (so I'm told)!

I am a pasta girl, through and through. Growing up Italian meant that pasta was pretty much at every meal, especially Sunday dinners. But in an effort to eat healthier and cut out a portion of the carbs I eat in a day, I decided it was time to re-try zucchini in the form of the oh so popular Zoodle.

If you're asking yourself right now, what the heck is a Zoodle? Well, it's basically a zucchini noodle. My family has been using this gadget called the Veggetti but it scared me (even though there is literally nothing to be afraid of) and it's a pretty cool thing to have.

Because 2015 has been the year of overcoming fears, mini and large, I decided the time has come to try the Zoodle.

If you have a Veggetti, then you already know what it can do. If you don't, then you should check out this video so you can see what it's all about!

The beauty about Zoodles is not just that it's healthy, but they are super quick to make which is perfect since so many of us are constantly running around. If you don't have a Veggetti, you don't need one to make Zoodles! I've made these without the use of a gadget and they were perfect. Without a gadget, it does take some more time.

You're going to want to cut the zucchini in long, thin pieces to mimic spaghetti if you're not using the Veggetti. You don't want it too thick so it doesn't cook all the way through.

Once you're Zoodles are created, it's time to cook them!

My favorite way so far is to sauté them in whatever sauce I'm making. I've been substituting my pasta often when I make shrimp scampi or my fettuccine Alfredo. But you can add the Zoodles to any & all sauces you make! The other beauty of the Zoodle, is they only take a few minutes to cook. So when your sauce is almost ready, about 2-3 minutes left, throw your Zoodles in & wait! If you cut them a little thicker, you might need a few extra minutes. But after a quick sauté, they'll absorb the flavor & be cooked!

So give them a try! They taste delicious & are a great way to add some veggies into your day while taking away from any extra added crabs. Substitute these out once a week to start & it'll make a great improvement into your daily life!

Enjoy!

Here are some Zoodles with a light cream sauce with tomatoes!

And here they are with a skinny shrimp scampi recipe I've been loving lately!

If you're looking for a thick and luscious hot chocolate recipe to keep you warm, then look no further!

I found this recipe a while ago on Pinterest and have been looking forward to trying it since! All the reviews on crock pot hot chocolate were stellar and I couldn't wait to try it! It's easy to make and the results are amazing! Without further adieu, here's the recipe for a fantastic hot chocolate:

Mix all your liquids together in the pot, leave your chocolate chips on the side

Stir it all well since the condensed milk is thicker, you want to make sure it's all mixed in well

Then, mix in your chocolate chips and stir well once again so that your chips are disbursed.

Put the cover on and let it cook for 2 hours on low

I stirred it occasionally, probably every 15-20 minutes

After the 2 hours, just change your setting from the crock pot from low to warm for a little while.

And the results are in...

I absolutely loved it! It was thick, creamy and better than your average instant hot chocolate. My sister, Stefanie, thought it was too sweet, so she added more milk to it to dilute the sweetness. But besides that she loved everything else about it! So make a note, if you find it's too sweet, don't throw it away just add some more milk to the crock pot and keep it warm!

Give it a shot! It's worth it and it's such a low maintenance recipe. Enjoy!

For the original pin, visit:

Today is one of those blistering cold days, which means I spent my day inside crafting, cleaning and catching up on TV. I popped onto Pinterest to see what was going on, and then I stumbled across a recipe for cinnamon rolls.

I needed them. As simple as that.

It was meant to be since I had all the ingredients and an oven that was begging to be used. Here's the recipe I used along with some helpful tips! Get ready for a treat!

First things first, the dough!

To start off, you'll need 2 bowls, a medium saucepan and a spatula.

Measure out your flour and salt in one bowl and set aside

In the saucepan, mix the milk, sugar and shortening together on medium heat. Continuously stir the mixture, spreading out the shortening making sure it gets incorporated. Turn off the heat right before it simmers. Because it's milk based, you don't want it to boil!

When that happens, move the liquid mixture into your second, empty bowl. You're going to want this liquid to get lukewarm before adding the yeast.

When it gets lukewarm after a few minutes, add your yeast and mix it well to incorporate the yeast. Make sure the liquid is not too hot, you don't want to kill the yeast, nor do you want it to be too chilly, it needs to activate. Lukewarm is the perfect temperature!

Let it sit for about 2-3 minutes. I always have music on when I'm in the kitchen so I waited one song. Then add your egg and whisk it together.

Take the flour/salt mixture in your other bowl and make a little well. This is where you'll add your wet mix. I always have an extra cup of flour set aside just in case your dough is very moist and sticky.

When that's all ready, go ahead and pour the wet mix into the flour. Begin mixing it all together. When everything is mixed well, begin to knead it for 8-10 minutes, about 3 songs.

If your mixture is super wet; mine was, gradually add a little bit of flour as you knead. Don't just add the whole cup, you only want to add what you'll need, so just a little at a time. Only add flour if you really think you need it. You don't want your dough to end up extra dry!

When you're done kneading, place your dough into a well greased bowl. I used the bowl I had my wet mixture in, I rinsed it quick and sprayed some cooking spray in it. Cover it with a towel and place it in a warm place. I put mine in my microwave so it could stay warm (the microwave wasn't on of course).

I let it rise for about a half hour, you're going to want the dough to double in size. In this half hour, I cleaned up and put away ingredients I wasn't using.

When I was done cleaning up, I made my cinnamon sugar mixture.

Melt your butter, either in the microwave or over the stove and place the butter in a small bowl.

In another small bowl combine your cinnamon and the sugar and set aside.

If your dough looks ready, uncover it and punch it so it deflates a little. This is when I preheated my oven to 350 degrees.

On a clean, flat surface, sprinkle a little bit of flour down and place your dough over it.

Grab your rolling pin and begin to roll it out, aiming for a rectangular shape.

You're going to want to get your dough on the thinner side, but not too thin.

When that's done, take your melted butter and begin to brush it over the entire flat surface of the dough.

Now it's time for the cinnamon sugar! Cover the dough in the mix, making sure you cover everywhere, including the edges.

Now it's time to roll it up!

Start at one end and begin rolling it up tightly.

When it's rolled up into one long log, begin making your cuts. You'll want them to be approximately an inch and a half long. Your log should make 12 rolls.

After your log is cut, place your cinnamon rolls on a well greased baking pan. They should be placed standing tall.

They will expand greatly in the oven, so don't place them too close together.

Throw them into the oven for 25-30 minutes, checking occasionally.

While they're baking, let's make the glaze!

Combine your powdered sugar and vanilla. Slowly add the water adding only about half. You might not need it all so don't add all of it at once.

Once about half the water is added, mix it all together, it might be super thick. If it is, add a touch more of water.

Continue doing so until it has a glaze like consistency and then it'll be ready!

When your rolls are ready, put them carefully on a cooling rack. I added a pan underneath my racks so when I added the glaze, I only had to wash the pan.

Feel free to use nothing at all or wax paper/aluminum foil for even less cleanup!

I let my buns cool for maybe 5 minutes, I couldn't wait. At that time i took about a half a teaspoon of glaze and poured it on each roll to start off with. Adding a little more where needed.

Then there you have it! Amazing cinnamon rolls!

For the original pin visit this website! It'll give you the measurements to make 24 rolls!

Love mashed potatoes? Then you'll drool over this recipe we found over Pinterest!

Mashed potatoes is hands down, my absolute favorite food. I am all about finding new twists on my favorite food. I stumbled upon this pin from Pinterest and you need to try it. I mean it, this must be made in every kitchen and enjoyed by everybody.

Here is what we thought:

Just a heads up, this does a good amount of time but it's 100% worth it!

We got the celeriac at our local farm from our weekly CSA share and had been waiting to use it! It looks a little wild, my sister called it a "wildebeest" which suits it quite well!

Make sure you cut all the "wildebeest" parts off and only use the inside of the celeriac.

Keep your thyme together if possible, you're going to have to remove the entire piece before pureeing the celeriac mixture.

*Remember to keep an eye out for when your celeriac and 1/2 & 1/2 boils, you don't want to let it boil too long in fear that it might curdle*

We had a little half and half spill on the floor...

...but Goob woke up from his nap to clean it up!

Stefanie continued on as I watched...

Don't throw away the outside of the celeriac. Instead, put it in a freezer safe ziplock bag or tupperware and use it to make fresh stock! Add in carrot peels, onion peels, etc to can make a great stock for yummy soup!

We did not use our food processor, it's just a mini one. Instead, I whipped out my blender and we blended up just the celeriac mixture until smooth (and ultra creamy!)

After ricing the potatoes, we were ready to combine the 2! Stefanie used our masher to help mix in the celeriac mixture which really helped make the process go smoothly.

We chose not to add any cheese, mainly because we didn't have any! We added a little bit of salt to taste and we only needed about 2 pinches.

These were literally one of the most amazing things I've ever eaten!!

I didn't eat anything else for dinner, just these mashed potatoes. We'll be making them again for Thanksgiving for the whole family! We think you should try it for Thanksgiving too! You cannot go wrong with creamy, heavenly and perfect mashed potatoes! So go ahead, take a little extra time to make the best mashed potatoes you'll ever eat!

For the link to the original pin, please follow the link below!

Author

My name is Kristina and I'm the founder of Love Struck. Read about how Love Struck came to be, see how I make it happen or just read a random thought I just might have! Anything can happen at our blog & I wouldn't have it any other way! It's time to get Love Struck, and what better way to start than right here!